Focus World nabbed it for U.S. distribution at the American Film Market.

“The Deep” was presented at Les Arcs last year in the Work-in-Progress session and is playing this year in competition.

“We closed these sales in record time between Toronto and the AFM,” said Bac’s Gilles Sousa, who acquired the film after seeing footage at Les Arcs. Sousa said he will soon be closing deals for Latin America, South Korea, Spain, Italy and Russia. Bac will release “The Deep” in France in late April.

The €2.2 million ($2.9 million) dramedy is helmed by Dagur Kari and turns on a 43-year-old late bloomer, played by Icelandic comic Gunnar Jonsson, whose routine is turned upside down after he meets a woman who shares his passion for the WWII battle of El Alamein.

Johansen, who will pitch the project at Les Arcs’ co-production village, said he’s raised most of the financing. Denmark’s Nimbus Film is co-producing, SF Film will distribute in Denmark and Sena Film will release in Iceland.

The 4th Les Arcs, an eight-day meet in the heart of the Alps, closes on Saturday.